Don't Give Up
by dead-french-revolutionists
Summary: Hermione goes back to Hogwarts for an optional 7th year after the war, and after they all rebuild Hogwarts. Draco comes too. Everything changes between them.
1. Chapter 1

**This is my first story on here... its published elsewhere too, but I thought I'd put it here. I would welcome anything anyone has to say about it. It's Dramione, so yeah. The first parts are kinda bad but I think it gets better as it goes on.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, you really think I do? I'm just a girl with an internet connection.**

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"Who is Head Boy?" Hermione asks, waiting for whoever had come back for 7th year, in McGonagalls office. Well, actually it is the Headmistress' office now. With Dumbledore gone.

"You might be mad. You've had many run-ins with him in past years." McGonagall tells her.

"Not Malfoy!"

"Why, Granger, its as if you are sad I'm back." Hermione jumps up, spinning around quickly to face the one Draco Malfoy, who was leaning casually against the door frame.

"And I wonder why. You tried to kill Dumbledore, you watched be being tortured by Bellatrix. You watched her carve th-" her voice breaks a bit, and her eyes tear up, but she goes on,"this into my arm." She pulls up her sleeve revealing 'Mudblood' carved into her arm. "You watched it. All of it. You did nothing. You were on Voldemort's side the whole time. And you wonder why I hate you." She steps toward him, showing the scars from it. "Your smart, think for a moment."

"I didn't have a choice! You think I believed what Voldemort did? If I didn't do it, my father would, he would he-" his voice breaks.

"Maybe we should go onto another topic. The war seems to be a sore and soft topic for both of you." McGonagall.

"No. I want to talk about it. But maybe just to Gr-Her-Gr. Her. " he says, gesturing to Hermione, unsure what to call he's polite. For a change.

"Of course." McGonagall gets up and walks past the two out the door. She closes the door behind herself and they wait out her receding footsteps.

"Hermione. I didn't have a choice."

"You always have a choice!"

"Do you know what Crucio even- you do. All the time. If I didn't do as Father said, he would use it on me. Or something else he could hurt me with! All my childhood. He ruined it. And when I came here, I was jealous of you, and Potter, and Weasley. All of those bloody Weasley's." He tells me. "You think I actually wanted this?" He rips up his shirt sleeve, showing me the Dark Mark on his arm. "It hurt like hell Granger."

"And this didn't?" she yells at him.

"I didn't have a choice, I wanted to help you, but I couldn't. I mentioned stopping it, but he did it again. You think I wanted these?" Draco fumbles with his sweater, pulling it over his throws it to the ground and fumbles with his tie, his fingers trembling immensely. "I asked them to stop, but why would they listen to me? No. Of course not, I'm just their servant. I do what they say."

"Draco?" Hermione asks quietly. He pulls his shirt over his head, off his back. The bottom of the back resting under his chin.

"These, Hermione, these." He turns around, and she gasps, not even registering the fact he has called her by her real name.

"Oh my g- Draco," she says quietly, scared even. She steps toward him. His back has scars on it. Across his back some criss-cross, some don't. Hesitantly she reaches out to brush his back softly with her fingertips. "Draco, I'm so so-" He turns around, my fingers brushing his chest where they had been on his back.

"I don't need your pity you filthy little-"He starts yelling at her, but he stops himself, looking down at the scars on her arm. 'Mudblood'. That's what he was going to say.

"You father did that? For how long?" He's so closed off. She steps back a bit.

"He did. For-for years." Tears begin forming in his eyes, but he drags his hands over them, taking them away. "He told me every time that I was a disgrace, I didn't deserve the name. That I may as well be a-a," he pauses, but continues, "he said I was as bad as a Mudblood. He raised me as a prejudiced fool. And everything I every said was his fault. No, it was my fault I said it, but it came from him. How pure-bloods were the only wizards who matter. That Muggle-borns like you were pathetic and useless." He shakily pulls his shirt back over his head. "I regret it all. Everything I did to the three of you. Calling you..that name." During all of this, his voice gets lower, and quieter. "I'm sorry Gr-Hermione. I am so sorry." He says roughly.

"I don't know if I'll ever be able to forgive you Draco." Hermione turns around,her back now facing Draco.

"Why?" She spins back around.

"You ask me why? You of all people should know! I had to watch everyone I care about suffer. Some even die, because of Voldemort. You could have stopped some of it. But you didn't. You're a coward." His eyes turn from soft gray to steel.

"Don't call me a coward. You haven't had to go through what I have. " He tells her.

"I watched Harry come back after Snape killed Dumbledore. I watched Fred after his brother came back with his ear cursed off. I watched Ron be almost possesed by Voldemort. I was tortured by your aunt. I watched your old house-elf, Dobby die, because of us. Then we had to come back and put everyone at school in harms way even more so we could kill him. We condemned so many young souls who had their whole lives ahead of them. I stood there as Fred Weasley died. Fred Weasley. The invincible joker, the one no one ever thought could die. Who would never leave his twin." Hermione chokes on the tears that are coming fast now, the sobs trapped in her throat.

"I went to his funeral. George saw me. He saw me apologizing to the headstone. I never wanted it to end up this way. I never wanted anyone to die." Draco looks down, as if hes ashamed. "I didn't want to die. That's my reason. I am afraid of death. I didn't want to face it. Fred, I heard, died laughing, what he loved to do. He died happy. I know that. But he was brilliant. Absolutely."

"George hasn't left his house since it happened. Ron runs the shop when hes not working. Lee Jordan also does, they try and fail to get the old George back. I think he died with Fred. He hasn't been the same. No one is." Tears wont stop for Hermione,and Draco takes a step closer.

"I know why you hate me. I see that. I want to change. I really do. Dad's in Azkaban, Mums in St. Mungo's. I'm all alone in bloody Malfoy Manor. But at the same time I actually am free. Free to do what I choose. I want to change." He says quietly. Pulling the ends of his sleeves over his hands, he reaches to wipe the tears from her face, but she pulls away. She walks back to McGonagalls desk, leaning up against it. "What will make you forgive me?" Draco asks.

"Malfoy. You have... years, and years to make up for. I can't just forgive you in a day. No one can." Hermione turns her gaze to meet the gray eyes which softened back to how they were before he got angry. Soft gray. But serious. He takes a few steps toward her.

"I wont ever use m- that word again. I wont bully the first years, any one. And," He takes another couple steps toward her. "have I ever told you that you are the most brilliant witch of our age?" hes alot closer to her now. "I haven't, have I. Well its true." Hermione looks down at the floor. A small blush creeps up onto her face.

"No need to blush." Draco says cheekily. "I am truly sorry for the years and years of taunting, teasing, bullying." His voice changes, getting lower and rougher, making her blush more. "And I forgot to mention one important thing." he pauses, waiting for her to meet his gaze again. She raises her eyes slowly. "Your beautiful. You truly are." he reaches to brush her cheek with his hand. Unsure if he's lying, she tries to back up more, but finds herself bending over the desk.

"You think I'm lying." He whispers, dropping his hand.

"I wonder why! All you have ever done is bully me, Draco." He leans nearer, and she finds herself bent farther back over the desk, her feet rising from the floor.

"Hermione. I swear I'm telling the truth." She shifts around, trying to get her feet back on ground.

"I cant tr-"

"Of course. You cant trust me." Her hands reach up to the loose ends of his Slytherin tie. In one last desperate move to stand up she pulls on them, but instead of helping, it pulls Draco closer.

"How can I be sure?" she breaths, suddenly a whole lot closer than she was before. He's leaning over her, his body slightly pressed up against hers, Hermione's hands not leaving the green and silver tie. "You know, green was always one of my favorite colors." She tells him, trying to distract herself from the closeness. She's still worried, and shifts her gaze away from his, looking at the tie, his partially unbuttoned shirt.

"Do I look like I'm lying?" he whispers onto her lips, and instantly she has to look up at him. Brown meets gray.

"N-no." he looks into her eyes.

"Good."his lips barely parted from hers. "Do I scare you?" He asks as he notices that she's trembling slightly.

"Of course not Malfoy." she says, her voice shaking.

"Malfoy again? I quite liked how you say Draco." his arrogant self is showing again.

"Ma- Draco then, why are we still like this?" she asks, her eyes darting around his face.

"Are you sure you want to know?"

"Draco, let me up." she moves her hands down from his neck to his chest and tries to push him up. He lets her.

"Whats wrong Gr-Hermione?"

"I'm not sure about you." She says, standing up. Hermione tries to push past him, but chairs and he block her way. "Draco. Move." She tires to push him out of the way again, but his built body from hours upon hours of Quiddich block her way.

"What is it?"

"Draco, just let me leave!" she raises her hand to slap him again. He flinches slightly remembering the time in third year.

"No."

"You asked for it." She flings her hand at his face, but stops herself just before skin hits remembers what his father has done. She rests her hand on his cheek instead. "Draco, I'm sorry I slapped you in third year." She lets her hand slide down his neck and rest on his shoulder. "If I'd known-"

" I don't need pity."

"I'm not giving it to you."

"You just feel sorry for me!" He yells at her.

"No! Its not that!" She yells back, and this time when she tries to get past him, he lets her. She rushes to the door,

"I'll see you later." and leaves, slamming the door behind her.

"Hermione? Hermione! Come back! Please!" Draco rushes across the room, quickly opening the door, following her out,but shes already turned the corner. And disappeared. "Filthy little 's not that. No one deserves that name. Except you. Stupid pure-blood, Malfoy. You're the mudblood." He tells himself, leaning against the door. "You are."


	2. Chapter 2

**Alright, chapter two. This is actually pretty bad now I look back at it, but I would enjoy seeing what people have to say. I've had to go back and change POVs and all that. So, hopefully you like it, and maybe review? **

**It might be a while before the next chapter is up, and who knows about spelling. I'm pretty bad with checking grammar and spelling, it sort of slips by. But I'm trying my best. **

**Disclaimer: Don't own Harry Potter, Queen Rowling does.**

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'Running out on him, how could she?' She thinks, 'He'll just think I'm weak now.' She hears him shout after her, but she ignores it. 'I'm not going back.' She thinks and leans against the wall in the corridor just around the corner of the Headmistress office.

"Hermione. Please." She hear his footsteps coming after her. It takes a while, but for some stupid reason he seems to care about her. She tries to control her sobs. Everything is getting to her now. 'I haven't spilled that much about the war, and everything that has happened to anyone. Ever.' She scolds herself. His footsteps come closer.

"Hermione?"

"Why are you calling me Hermione!" She chokes out. He comes around the corner tears on his face as well. "You never did!"

"I thought it might be a start to changing." He walks closer, carefully.

"Shut up,Malfoy." She snaps at him. "I don't care. Leave me alone."

"Five minutes ago, you were fine with me. Now you're yelling at me. Whats wrong?" He asks her, being all concerned and its dreadful. 'He's most certainly faking it.' She thinks.

"Nothing. Just leave me alone." She pushes off the wall and start walking away. He grabs her and pulls her back.

"Hermione. Please." He looks her right in the eye, holding my arms at my side.

"Let me go."

"So we're back on last name relationship? Alright then, Granger."

"I just never really opened up to anyone about, well anything." She starts, not even aware of exactly what she's saying. "Everything about the war and how Ron ditched me, my crush on Fred, how much it hurt me when he died, how much Bellatrix hurt me. Not just physically. It hurt me so much. So much, Draco." the tears wont stop now.

"Granger." Hermione looks at him through the tears in her eyes. He lets go of her, and automatically she leans against him, hoping for a welcoming, warm body and wraps her arms around him. He tenses a bit, but his arms slowly encircle her waist, and he rests his head on top of hers, which barely comes to his chin. "You've been through as much as I have, if not more. I know she hurt you. I could see it. And you still went on. On and on until you could stop. You didn't stop til you saved us all." He whispers. She tries to stop her tears, but she cries for a few moments.

"Draco, I'm sorry." She backs up, lifting her face out of his chest. "I don't need to break down in front of you." His arms drop, fingers brushing her hips as they leave her waist. "I'm just the buck-toothed, bushy haired, mudblood. I don't need you seeing this. I-I need to lea-" He pushes her against the wall.

"Hermione. Never do that. You aren't anymore. You've grown up." He says, his arms pinning her to the wall. "You've grown up. Your what, 18? 19? You aren't that little girl anymore. And please never call yourself a mudblood. No one is. Except me. I am."

"You're being polite Draco. Why?" she asks.

"I think you deserve it after these years and years of me being a bastard about everything."

"Don't call yourself names. Its bad for you." She tells him. She looks him into the eye. They're not the steely gray its been for 're soft.

"I called you names all the time. You didn't deserve them. I do." He tells me.

"No, Draco, no one does."

"Your trembling."She feels somewhat affected with the closeness of them.

"No I'm not." Hermione denies. "Stop changing the topic." A smirk appears on his face. The signature Malfoy smirk. But with the softness in his eyes, its different, he looks different with it now. Not as mean.

"You are." He teases. She feel my face get hotter. "Granger, you seem in the blushing mood today."

"Be quiet Malfoy." She mutters him. He raises one eyebrow 'I guess if I admit, he does look kinda hot. In a way...' She thinks.

"What you say Granger? You think I'm-"

"I said that out loud?" She blushs even more.

"Well I am flattered." He says, shifting his body so that she can see the tears still on his cheeks, all the single tears running down his face, the few stuck in his eyelashes. His body is even slightly pressed against hers.

"Why are you crying?" She asks, tension building.

"Why are you?" He counters. She looks off to the side, glancing down the hallway, quickly making sure no one is there. When she turns back to him, she's greeted by his lips. He presses them to hers , catching her off guard. He doesn't continue, sensing her confusion, and he breaks away. "Sorry. I shouldn't have done that." He starts to walk away, and in the state she's in, confused and longing for something, she grabs his collar and pulls him toward her, kissing him. He kisses her back, pushing her against the wall again.

"Mr. Malfoy! Miss Granger!" They break apart looking around frantically for the voice. McGonagall is walking quickly toward them.

"This will not be good." Draco says out of the corner of his mouth.

"At least we weren't interupted by first years." She says back, blushing.

" What are you doing here?"

"Well, we were in your office, but we thought here would be a better place to snog. Out in the middle of the corridor." He says, cocky. Hermione looks confused over at him. McGonagall gapes at him too. "Just kidding. We were talking about... things and then we got mad.. and it kinda escalated I guess." He shrugs.

"Mr. Malfoy. If you would, please go down to the Great Hall and join the feast. And you too Miss Granger. I have some things to complete." She walks off muttering about hormonal teenagers. Hermione starts to giggling uncontrollably.

"What was that all about Draco?" She asks as they hurry to the Great Hall.

"I can still be a smart ass, can't I?" He smiles down at her. She rolls her eyes.

"You always were. Was it to get over what your father did?" She asks, hesitantly.

"Can we have this discussion later? We can actually talk about everything and not skip around due to stress and everything." He suggests.

"Alright." She tells him, as they reach the Great Hall. They walk in and grab seats at the ends of our respective tables. At the moment Hermione don't see any other Gryffindors who returned, but does notice a number of Ravenclaws, and a few Hufflepuffs. Draco's back from Slytherin, and a couple others. Her plate is already full and a first year next to me asks,

"Is that boy your boyfriend?" She blushes.

"No. He isn't, hes Head Boy and we had to talk about our duties for the year." She looks kinda crestfallen.

"Oh. Your Hermione Granger, right?" Her mood picking right back up, digging into her food.

"Yeah, I am. Whats your name?" She asks her, taking a bite of bread.

"I'm Elizabeth. Elizabeth Michaels. Is Hogwarts really fun?" She asks Hermione.

"It's the best. You'll love it here. But it is hard work, don't forget to study. My friends Harry and Ron never studied, but they did pretty good, because I let them use my notes. A bit of advice to you, Elizabeth. Never get friends like them. Well actually do, you seem like a smart girl, and even if they were a bit lazy they are the best friends anyone could ask for." Hermione tells her, thinking back over the years of memories.

"Alright Hermione." The little girl says, stuffing her face with the wonderful food that Hogwarts has to offer.

Hours later, and many plates of food, the prefects start leading everyone from the hall down to their respective common room. Even though She is actually supposed to be helping, she let the prefects, still remembering when she was excited to be one.

"Tyto Alba." One of the prefects, a boy named Edward, says and the Fat Lady opens the portrait all clamber in with the first years looking excitedly around. Parvati comes up to me. She hadn't noticed her before.

"Where are we supposed to sleep?" She asks Hermione.

"How should I know?" McGonagall hadn't said anything.

"I guess we're crashing out here?" She asks, as Dean and Seamus join us, Neville too.

"Probably. Boys, you get that side, and me and Parvati get this side. Don't try anything." Neville blushes a bit.

"We won't." They head over to the other side of the common room. Everyone else younger than them straggle up to their dormitories. Hermione and Parvati settle down on a chair each.

"I'm not changing with them in here." Hermione laughs.

"Me neither." She says, curling up on her chair. She curls up too, pulling a blanket over herself, leaning her head against the arm of the chair. She closes my eyes, and drift off to sleep. But instead of good dreams, of happy things, all she dreams of is nightmares. Since all that happened, all she gets when she sleeps are nightmares. Tonight it's when Fred died. Nothing we could do about it.

"Hermione? Hermione?" She hears Parvati's voice come out of the battle. Hermione's eyes flutter open, a tear or two slipping out of her eyes. "You were screaming for Fred to pay attention." She brushes the tears away.

"I-Its fine, go back to sleep."

"Its also time to go have breakfast." She tells me, getting up.

"Alright." Hermione says, not trusting herself to say anymore unless she starts crying again. "You go ahead." She says quickly. She glances back at me and then walks out of the common room. She takes a deep breath, trying to calm herself. 'It's in the past. There is nothing you can do about it Hermione. Nothing. Calm down. You can't go into the Great Hall crying like a baby.' She evens out her breathing, a technique that she learned out with Ron and Harry hunting Hocruxes. Then she wipes away all the other tears and stand up, straightening my robes. 'Its going to look very weird,'she thinks 'but oh well. I don't even care anymore.'

Hermione makes her way out of the portrait hole, and as soon as she steps on the staircase, she notices Elizabeth running up the stairs to me with a note in her hand.

"Hermione! I have a note for you, its from Headmistress McGonagall." She looks proud to have been given this job.

"Thank you." Hermione says, reaching for it. She then opens it and sees that it is about her Head Girl duties. "Damn-don't say that- I have to miss breakfast."

"Oh, I was hoping you'd eat with me. I want to hear more about the w-"Hermione gives her a sharp look. "Sorry." She looks down, genuinely sorry.

"No, its okay. I guess I'll see you later." Hermione tells her, heading now toward the headmistresses office. "Lemon Drops." The gargoyles move out of the way and she stuffs the letter in my pocket heading up the stairs to the office.

Hermione enters the office , and sees that Draco already there, sitting in a chair by McGonagall's desk.

"Nice of you to join us, Miss Granger." McGonagall says, gesturing to the chair next to Draco. "Have a seat." She slowly walks over and sinks down into the chair.

"Why are we here?" Draco asks, after a minute or two of awkward silence.

"I have to ask the two of you to take on something. Well, you see we needed some new teaches, mainly beacause many of the people who would be able to teach are still recovering from... what has happened. We have Charlie Weasley teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts. And I'm still teaching Transfiguration, even with my Headmistress duties. And even though you both are busy, you've both been proven to be extremely good at Potions, and we would be very appreciative if you two would take over that class, just for the year, and if we can find a teacher,you can drop it." She asks us.

"But Professor, what about our studies?" Hermione asks, immediatly.

"We thought about this, and your teachers can give you the assignments and you can complete then on your own time. We really need you to do this." She's desperate. Hermione hears it in her voice. She glances over at Draco, noticing faint, but still there,tear tracks on his cheeks.

"I will. What about you, Malfoy?" He looks over at Hermione, with that bit of a glint of anger in his eyes. He gives a slight double take as he notices the dried tears on her cheeks as well. McGonagall seems to distracted, or perhaps to polite, to have noticed either of ours.

"Yeah, sure." He agrees.

"Thank you. So much! First lesson is in an hour, with 2nd year students. Just try to follow what Proffessor Snape did." She tells us."Now go on." We stand up, and in the small area between the two chairs, he lets me go first. They walk out, down to the dungeon where Snape used to teach, in silence. When they reach it, Draco closes the door.

"Whats wrong, Draco?" Hermione asks, sitting down in her old seat. He sits down next to her.

"Nothing." He turns his face away from Hermione.

"Draco?" She asks quietly.

"It doesn't have a class to plan." He stands up and walks over to Snape's desk. I sigh and follow him over, thinking this might be a bad idea.


	3. Chapter 3

**I got through editing this chapter and the next, so I don't know how many will be up today, who knows. I think at some parts Hermione and Draco are a bit OOC but all in all this is better than I remember it being. I wrote it a while ago. His (Draco) memories are in ****_Italics _****and I think that's all. Please Review?**

**Disclaimer: Do you really think I own this? I'm not creative enough to think up this entire universe. **

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Many hours, and dreadful potions, later Draco and Hermione finally get to see their other teachers for their homework. And essay from Flitwik about False Memory Charms, a essay from McGonagall on Multicorfors, and the next day's lessons to plan.

"I'm heading to the library." Hermione tells Draco, somewhat inviting him to come with her. He had mentioned before that he wanted to show her something, but she wasn't sure what the something was and was slightly curious.

"I need to grab something, I'll be down there in a minute. Or two."

"Alright." She hoists her bag on her shoulder and walks through the darkening corridors to the library, where she sets herself down at her normal table from all the other years. Laying out a fresh scroll of parchment, she stands up again and turns to look for the book she needs. Knowing exactly where they are has a benefit in this circumstance and she finds them quickly, returning to her seat.

Malfoy sits down across from her, a bowl of some sort in his hands.

"Whats that?" She asks, opening her book.

"Pevensive." He tells her, taking a small glass vial out of his robe pocket.

"And that?"

"Damn, Granger you're curios. Everything I will explain,give me a moment. This is my memories," shaking the vial a little," and I'm going to show you some of my life. I don't know why I'm doing this, but it seems like the right thing to do." He says, suddenly looking extremely worried that she'll tease him.

"Your going to show me parts of your life?" She asks looking up from the parchment. "Well then?" He takes a shaky breath.

"This first one is from when Harry used Sectumsempra on me."

"Why that one?"

"Don't ask. Okay? Just don't before I leave." He looks scared in the lamplight.

"How do we get into the memory?" Hermione asks.

"Come here." She gets up off her chair and walks over by him. "Take my hand." He holds it out for her, and she takes it. He unstoppers the vial and pours the contents into the bowl, it turns into a silvery swirling liquid. "You'll feel what I did okay?" He says, looking up at her.

"Alright." She takes a deep breath. "I'm ready."

Draco pulls her into the bowl and they swirl through, eventually slamming to the ground in the Great Hall, in 6th year.

'_He knows. Harry know what I did.' Draco thinks as he stares at where Harry is talking to Katie Bell. Harry turns around, looking over his shoulder at the scared Draco Malfoy standing alone in the Great Hall. Draco feels a tugging in his chest, as if its going to burst. He backs up a bit, turning around and quickly walking out, past other students trying to get in. _

_He turns the corner, quickly heading away from everyone else. From Potter. The weird feeling is spreading to his throat, making him feel as if he's choking. He tugs at his tie, loosening it a bit, taking it away from his throat. He feels that rush of helplessness he's known too well lately. He feels the tears building in his eyes. _

_He hears footsteps behind him, far enough away, but still following him. It's got to be Potter. Draco turns the corner heading to the nearest bathroom. He rushes to the sink, for something to hold him upright. His sweater makes everything hot and worse so he fumbles, his hands trembling, until he is able to get it over his head. He throws it to the ground. He grips the sides of the sink. He glances up at his reflection. Messy hair, bloodshot eyes. Messy shirt, tears in his eyes. If his father saw him now he would be furious._

_Turning on the tap, he lets the water run for a moment before scooping some up water to splash onto his face, trying to wash away the tears that shouldn't be there. His breath is heavy with the effort of keeping back the tears, and sobs. But they come anyway. _

_The pressure, the jealousy, everything comes crashing down around him and he begins to sob as Harry Potter walks into the bathroom. Hearing steps, Draco looks up into the mirror again and seeing Harry, he turns around his face streaked with tears, but with the pressure of it all going bad. He lets loose a curse at Harry, and Harry flings one back. Draco has to jump out of the way, to avoid the mirror which explodes._

_This is what he has to do. He can't pity himself. Quiet sobs continue, just the pressure of everything is so great. His father would hurt him if he saw Draco now. He can't do this. Draco flings another curse at Potter and he dodges the counter curse. He wipes away tears that are still building in his eyes. _

_Potter crouches down, crawling along the floor. He reaches a open part under the other sinks and Draco throws a curse at him, almost hitting him. Draco runs back to the other room of the bathroom, trying to get away. Just so he can have some peace. Anger takes over and he throws a curse over his shoulder. A horrible, huge mistake. _

_"Sectumsempra!" Potter bellows. A horrible torturous pain shoots through Draco's body, flinging him to the floor. Blood pours from the wounds on his chest now. He shakes uncontrollably, pain deepening as he hits the floor. He is crying of pain now. Sobbing, unable to move of it. Blood pouring out onto the water flooded floor, dispersing around. Potter walks slowly down the hall to see what his curse has done. Draco has only the energy to whimper now. A terrible thing for a Malfoy. _

_Snape billows in, lead there by a student. He walks past Harry and by Draco, frozen in pain. Snape stares at Harry, who looks down at what he has done. He stumbles out of the bathroom, horrified slightly of what he has done. Snape kneels down, muttering the counter for this spell. The blood is soaked up and the wounds heal somewhat. _

Hermione and Draco are pulled out of the bowl. Falling onto the library ground. Draco pulled them out. Tears are all over Hermione's face.

"Draco. I am so sorry for what Harry did." She says looking up at his tear stained face. Hermione wonders how hard it must be for Draco to relive that.

"You didn't do it. Don't be."

"Do you have..scars from that?" Hermione asks, brushing her finger tips against his chest.

"A few." He looks down, not wanting to meet her eyes. She stands up, glancing at the clock with stands in the library.

"I've got to go Draco." He stands up as well, knees weak from seeing that again. His eyes glisten in the light, and from the tears. He grabs her hand, pulling her back toward him.

"Hermione. Don't." She looks up at his troubled face. "Stay with me. Please." He sinks down into his chair, bringing Hermione with him, her falling into his lap. She shrieks as this happens. A small smile appears on his face, but fades quickly.

"It must be hard, seeing that again." She looks back at bowl still full of memories. His tears still streaming down his face. She looks up at him. "Knowing you'll never forget those kinds of things."She's about to go on, but is stopped by his finger on her lips.

"Just don't say anything." He pulls her into a tight hug, his tears falling onto her hair,her head buried into his chest.

"You know if you talk ab-"

"Sh..." Hermione breaks out of his arms.

"Draco. I have go." She stands up and walks around to her things and pushes them into her bag. "We'll plan the lesson tomorrow." She walks out of the library, leaving a distraught Draco behind.


	4. Chapter 4

**Oh, look another one in like 5 minutes. I think they are a bit OOC, but this is actually alot better written than I remember it to have been. So, yeah. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own this amazing world.**

* * *

The rest of the first week back passes uneventful. Draco doesn't show Hermione anything else. They only talk in their class and don't see each other at the library at all. On Saturday however, Elizabeth comes to Hermione again.

"Hermione! I have a note from your boyfriend." She spins around rapidly, the little girl with a cheeky grin on her face. "Just kidding. It's from the boy that I saw you with on the first day." She tells Hermione handing her a nicely folded note. It's from Draco.

**Hermione, I'm sorry about what happened. I want to talk.  
Meet me by the Room of Requirement at 9. Please? I just want to talk. You're right about how  
talking about it makes it better. Please come.  
Draco Malfoy.**

"What does he say?" Elizabeth looks up at her with shinning eyes.

"He wants help with his homework is all." Hermione tells her, and she looks crestfallen.

"I thought he had given you a love note. He likes you." She tells me matter-of-factly.

"And how do you know that?" She feels her face flushing a bit.

"The way he looks at you."

"And how would you know?"

" I watch him at meals. He always looks at you. He sits so he can see you without it seeming obvious that he's looking at you."

"Are you sure your 11?" Hermione teases. "You're like Ginny." Looking at her watch, Hermione notices it's about 8:30 and just so she's on time she says good-bye to Elizabeth and heads on her way to the room.

"Granger, you're early." She looks around for the voice of Draco. He's sitting in an alcove, bathed in orange light.

"Well, I thought I may as well come early as late." She replies, walking over to him. A door is in the wall next to him, the door to the Room of Requirement.

"I made it so only we can get in and we won't get interrupted this way. Come on Granger." He leads her in, and its like a common room in there. Couple chairs, a table, fireplace. The fireplace heats the entire room.

"Have a seat." He tells her and she sits down, across from him.

"Why did you want to talk? I mean before you just w-"

"I had just seen myself almost die. Of course I didn't want to talk." He tells her.

"Sorry." Hermione tells him, looking down at her hands.

"I wanted to talk. So, I want to know what happened between you and Ron. I mean.."

"Well, I had talked back and forth with Krum, you know the Durmstang champion, and well he got jealous. I guess it was partly my fault too. I was too caught up in my crush on Fred.." She blushes, knowing he's staring at her.

"That's why his death affected you so much." He concludes.

"Yeah. But basically we just fell apart. You know.. kinda fault on both parts." She admits. "As much my fault as his."

"And Fred?" She blushes even more. "Why did you like him?" He questions her. She looks up at him.

"Well, he was always a prankster and gave us a laugh when we needed it. He was quite hot if I do admit it. And he was a whole dang lot taller than me and I find that attractive. He just had that amazing personality that girls look for. He was always there for us, and helped us. Even if he only got 3 O. ." She giggles. "But when he died. Damn Death Eaters. When he died, and after everything was finished, I just broke down.I couldn't handle it anymore. He was gone. I'd never get to tell him how much he meant to me, and I would never get to know if he felt the same way about me." She looks up at Draco, expecting endless ridicule.

"That's how I felt about you." He whispers. "As soon as my father had me get this bloody thing." He points to his lower arm." I thought I would never get to even see you again. Or talk to you, or tell you how I feel. Or," He pauses, looking into her eyes. "or find out if you feel the same." She feels a tightening in her chest like when you're about to cry.

"You said you were jealous of us." She prompts, looking away from those intense gray eyes. He sighs slightly.

"You and Potter and Weasley. You because you beat me in everything, even though I was second. But for a Malfoy, second isn't good enough. When Father found out you had beat me in exams and in assignments, he took that bloody cane of his and-"He stops. "and he b-beat me with it." His breath is shaky now. Hermione starts to say something,but he stops her. "And every time after that if I so much as mentioned you, he would hit me. As I got older, he started using different spells on me. He acted as if he hated me. I tried and tried to be better than you. Like with that hippogriff in 3rd year. I thought I could do anything just because I needed to. But I've learned that sometimes you need to do the right thing, or do it the right way. "

"Draco, I-I never knew." She says quietly.

"No one did." He takes a deep shaky breath. "I was jealous of Potter because even though his parents are dead, they loved him enough to die for him. He has everything, all the teachers liked him. Everyone was all 'oh Potter is the best just cause he's got a scar on his head' and I didn't understand it all. He just hates me. I kinda understand why and all, but I still went at him which probably made it worse for me at home. Father didn't use many Muggle ways of punishment, but one that he was fond of was a belt."

"But that's from like a long time ago." Hermione exclaims.

"Father isn't that worried about up to date Muggle punishments. But he would also take his anger out on me, like when Potter told everyone that Voldemort was back. When I needed to get this, and I refused. All those times I didn't want to listen to him. That's where those," he points to his back,"came from." Hermione tries to say something again. "No, if I don't say it all now I don't know when I will be able to. And finally Weasley and his family of red-heads. He always had a sibling to confide in. To tell about whats happening at school, or in his life. I'm an only child. I didn't and don't have anyone. He may be as poor as dirt, but he has a loving family and everyone cares about the others. Even his house must be, to say the least, interesting,but its got to be better than Malfoy Manor. He's so much luckily than I am, even with my fancy clothes and new things, he has what I will never have. A family."

"I-I'm sorry." Hermione says after a moment, watching Draco cry. She stands up and walks over to the chair he's sitting in and sinks down beside him, wrapping her arms around his somewhat slim torso. She leans into him. She hears his quiet sobs, remembering all the times of what has happened to him. "Should I talk now?" He nods, his body shaking.

"Crucio, at Malfoy Manor. The worst pain I've ever felt. She carved words into my skin and she tortured me. She has no feelings, Draco. None at all. Other wise you couldn't do something of that sort to anyone. All she wants is to be powerful like Voldemort did." She takes a breath. "I can't even explain it. When we were hunting Hocruxes to kill Voldemort, we all got in a fight and Ron left us. He was my only piece of Fred left and it hurt me. But we kept going on, and I didn't cry in front of Harry, just after he had gone to sleep or if he was away trying to find food. But that's when I learned how to control my breathing and stop the tears. Harry never knew how much I cried." She uses that technique now, to stay strong because Draco needs her to be.

"Hermione."She lifts her head. "I'm sorry." He looks down at her, tears slipping down his cheeks. She reaches her hands up and wipes them away gently.

"I'm sorry also." Hermione tells him, keeping her hands resting on his face, looking into his eyes.

"Do you still have a crush on Fred?" he asks suddenly after a couple of moments of them in that position. She drops her hands, feeling her face blushing.

"It's weird, because he's dead and all, and its hard to have a crush on a dead person. I don't know if I ever loved him. If I knew that I did, I don't know what I would do. I think it would be worse on me. Almost how it is for George. Like he lost his best friend. I don't know anymore." She says, standing up.

"Its fine. I-I don't care if you do." He tells her unconvincingly.

"Draco..I don't want to talk about him." She glances down at his tear-stained face.

"If you ever want to-"He leaves the invitation open.

"What happens if you touch the Mark?" Hermione asks, sitting on the chair across from him.

"Most of the time nothing, but one time it burned. Like when I got it." He tells her, standing up.

"I'm really sorry Draco. About everything." Hermione says. "But I-I have to go. Work on homework." She hurries out of the room, leaving Draco there alone.

"I scared her away." he's beginning to talk to himself again. It hasn't happened for a while but its starting again. "I always will. Why can't you get that through your head!" He shouts to himself. "Realize it! She doesn't and never will feel the same way!" He sinks into the chair she was sitting in. "Hermione. I-I think I love you."


	5. Chapter 5

**Oh, wait I didn't mention I like Fremione as well. I have actually quite a bit of Fremione for a Dramione story. Oops. Um... I think that's all. This one is more from Draco's point but not entirely.. not first person Draco. And dreams are in ****_italics._**

**Disclaimer:I most certainly do not own Harry Potter**

* * *

"Draco!" A first year, Matthew he thinks, comes up to him with a envelope in his hand.

"Yeah, what?"

"I was told to give you this. From Headmistress McGonagall." He looks very proud to have been given this duty.

"Give it here." Draco mutters. Probably another stupid meeting. He hands it over, and heads over to a group of other first years. He was right. Another meeting with Hermione. 'Every damn time this happens we end up in some weird conversation. Every damn time.' He thinks to himself. 'But of course I have to go.' Draco turns and heads out of the dungeon, up to McGonagalls office.

It only takes a few minutes and he is telling the gargoyles the password,"Acid Pops" and head up the stairs to McGonagall office. Hermione is already there, back facing me. 'Long brown hair cascading over her back, slightly wavy, perfectly placed.' A description pops into his head. She turns around, hearing his footsteps and he notice dry tear tracks on her face as I walk over to sit down by her. I slouch back in the chair, getting comfortable.

"Thank you for joining us Mr. Malfoy." McGonagall says in that proper way of hers.

"Pleasure."

"I was about to tell Miss Granger here about a new arrangement for the two of you. I've given you a week to get used to everything again, but now I would like it if you would move to the Head Boy and Girl dorm." Hermione tenses noticeably in her chair.

"Your kidding, right?" Draco questions her logic immediately . "I mean-"

" ?"

"Sorry."

"But ma'am, do we have to?" Hermione asks.

"Yes. You do. I expect you to move your things in by tonight." 'Hermione is going to be terrible about this.'Draco thinks. "Now go on, I have other things to attend to." Draco pushs himself out of the chair, and Hermione rises as well. She goes ahead of him, and her hair bounces as she walks away through the door, and as he follows, down the hallway to where the Gryffindor dormitories are.

-Midnight-

The door opens after Draco hears a whispered, "Mad-Eye" which happens to be the password. Hermione picked it.

"Why, Hermione, you seem to be late. I've been here for quite a while." Draco teases her, trying to make light of the situation, looking at her from the seat he'd sunk into waiting for her.

"Don't,Draco." He looks at her questioningly.

"What?"

"Are you going to help me or not?" She asks, dragging her trunk in.

"Yeah, sure."He stands up, walks over and grabs the handle. As Draco grabs it, his hand brushes hers. She quickly pulls it away and he haul the trunk over to her room. She waves her hand at Draco to get out, and he calmly obliges, understanding something is wrong. He walks back into his room and changes out of his robes and pulls on his pajamas. As he heads back out to the common room they'll be sharing,planing on working on the essay from McGonagall, he hears quiet sobs coming from her room.

"Hermione?" He asks quietly,altering his course to knock on her door. "Can I come in?"

"I guess." He opens the door slowly, and steps in, not wanting to do anything rash.

"There's something wrong. Isn't there." He immediatly recognizes the signs of something being wrong, and slowly walks over to her bed, where she had brought her knees up to her chest and had her arms wrapped around them. She had changed into what seems to be pajamas too. She takes a big shuddering breath.

"I-I took a nap after our last class, and I was really tired and all. I must have slept for a while because I had a nightmare." Tears stream down her face. He holds out his arms, akwardly trying to show her comfort. She moves over and leans into his chest, sobbing. Draco slides his arms around her slim waist and holds her there, stroking her back, trying to soothe her.

"Do you want to talk about the nightmare?" Draco asks after she calms down a bit, although it does take a consiterable amount of time. She shakes her head. "Alright. You probably want some time alone."

"No. Stay." She says, her voice muffled. She pulls him down so they're laying on the bed, next to each other, her head laying on his chest. After a while, "It wasn't actually a nightmare. It was like a dream from Fred. He was talking to me." She picks up her head a bit, "He told me that if he had lived, he would have taken me out, somewhere. And that he thought he might have loved me." He looks into her eyes. So many things are running through them. Like how she would have loved for Fred to take her out.

"I'm glad." Draco mutters, somewhat true. "I'm glad for you." She gives him a watery smile and lays her head back on his chest and after a while he realize shess a sleep. "But I also am not glad. He's dead." Draco whispers, settling her head down on the pillow, and sneaking out of her room. He tiptoes into the main part of the dorm and sits down in the couch. He relizes it would be the best thing to finish McGonagall's essay.

-Dream-

_"Hermione?" She opens her eyes, awaking in the same garden Fred came to her in last time. She looks around quickly and notices him sitting on a bench by the fountain. _  
_"Hi, Fred." She says smiling brightly. Hermione walks over to him and sits down next to him. _  
_"How's George doing?" He asks Hermione, real concern lighting his eyes. She begins to start her answer with 'Oh, he's fine.' to put his mind at ease, but then realizes she can't lie to Fred. Even if he is dead. And expecially on something as important as his twin._  
_"He's not doing that well. At all. He hasn't left his house." She replies looking up into his brown eyes, which match hers, to a point. "I'm kinda worried about him."_  
_"I guess I'll pay him a visit later. After I stay with you for a bit." He teases, bushing a strand of hair out of her face_

_"Did you mean what you said last time?" She asks, as they walk around the garden, hand in hand. His hand dwarfs hers, but its warm and makes her feel safe. It's so weird. With him being dead and all._  
_"Why do you have to ask?"_  
"_Its just, well, I'm Head Girl now, and-" _  
_"Congratulations!" He interupts her, smiling._  
_"And Draco Malfoy is Head Boy." _  
_"Oh... and?"_  
_"He's being all nice, and" She feels a blush coming on. "we might have kinda kissed. Once." He stops. _  
_"What?" he exclaims. _  
_"It was a sudden, I don't know, we were all stressed and we had been talking about the war and I don't know why I did it. All that he's ever done is bully us. Oh Fred, I'm so confused." Hermione rambles, feeling stupid. _  
_"He hasn't hurt you at all, has he?" _  
_"No..He hasn't. And he seems genuinely sorry. I just don't know what to do!" She looks away from Fred. He's silent for a bit. _  
_"I'm sorry. It's because I'm dead that you're confused. If I were alive, you wouldn't have to worry about Malfoy. I could have you. But I can't because of those damn Death Eaters." he says. _  
_"I just- I'll go now. You can go talk to George. He needs you more than I do right now. He really does." He looks at Hermione sadly. _  
_"I'll see you soon. " he touches my cheek, and she falls back into sleep._

-End Dream-

Hermione wakes up to sunlight streaming through her windows. She relizes that Draco must have left at some point, after remembering she asked him to stay. She climbs out of her bed and glancing at the clock, hurriedly changes into her robes. She heads out of her room, still pulling on one shoe and there is Draco, fast asleep on the couch, his Transfiguration essay laying out, only half done. 'He looks peaceful when he sleeps.' She thinks, and has half a mind to let him just sleep, but remembers that she does have to wake him up. She shakes him awake, looking into his gray eyes.

"Granger, you're up!" He says sitting up. "And you have an essay to finish!"


	6. Chapter 6

**This time, a letter is in bold and memories are in ****_italics._**** For some reason I really like my character of Elizabeth. I don't know why, but she's really cool. **

**Disclaimer: I do not, of course, own Harry Potter.**

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-Lunch-

Coming into the Great Hall with Draco, Hermione sits where she has since term started on the Gryffindor table with Elizabeth across from her.

"He's looking at you again." She tells Hermione, with a grin that could match one of Ginny's on a good day.

"Really?"

"Yep!" Her face is extremely happy. "He is!"

"Oh come on!" Hermione laughs. She glances over her shoulder, and sure enough, he's looking over at her. When he notices her looking, he blushes slightly and turns away before she can even smile.

"You guys so like each other!"

"No, we don't." Hermione tells her, although, not completely sure of her own words.

"Yes you do!" As she says that, and owl comes in and drops an envelope in front of Hermione. She open it, seeing that it's from George.

**Hey, Hermione,  
Have you gotten any dreams with Fred in them? He came to me last night and told me he had been to see you as well. He told me that I need to get out and do something and to move on with my life. He told me to make sure you're doing alright too. And to make sure Draco doesn't hurt you. I was wondering, at the next Hogsmeade day, if you'd like to come with me. Like so I could get out and do something. I would really like it if you would.  
Thanks,  
George Weasley. The holey one. **

She smiles at the last part..it's he's trying to be more like his old self again.

"Who's it from?" Elizabeth asks.

"George." Hermione answers.

"Is he your boyfriend?" Hermione sighs.

"No. He's not." She answers exasperated. "Why do you want me to have a boyfriend so bad?"

"You need someone you can talk to." She replies.

"Are you really sure you're only 11?" Hermione asks her again.

"Yeah.."

"You sure don't seem that young."Hermione teases her. "You and Ginny should get together some time and discuss my love life."

"Really?"

"NO!" Hermione exclaims. "But do you think I should go to Hogsmeade with George?I mean..." She shows the younger girl the note.

"Well... his brother got killed right? And you want to help him. He wants to help you.. Yeah I think you should." She says after looking at it.

"I guess I will then. I'll send back the letter later."Hermione stands up. "Thanks." She walks out of the Great Hall, planning on going up to the owlrey to send a reply to George.

"Hey, Hermione!" She then hears Draco shout after her. She slows her walking so he can catch up. He catches up to her and walks beside. "Who's that note from?" He questions.

"George." Hermione says simply.

"What did he want?"

"Nothing."

"Oh, well I saw the date of the first Hogsmeade day up and..well I was wondering..what I mean is.." She looks over at him, his face blushing a bit. "I was wondering if you might want to go with me. Like as friends."

"Draco, I'm really sorry, but George asked me first and I'm planning on going with him, like so he'll get out. I'm going to send my reply now. He needs me to do this. We aren't anymore than Friends..you and me either. So..I'm sorry."Hermione says softly.. wondering if this will all go wrong.

"Oh, that's okay." He says unconvincingly. "I-I'll just go and get the next class ready. Meet you in the dungeon in twenty minutes."

"Yeah, sure." Hermione agrees, their paths altering from the others, heading up to the owlrey. She pulls out a new piece of parchment, and her quill and writes:

**The holey one.  
I would love to go to Hogsmeade with you. It would be good for you, and for me. And Fred did come to me in a dream, I'm the one who convinced him to talk to you. I told him that you weren't doing that well, and he needed to talk to you. Draco is jealous I think, but he'll get over it. I just need someone to talk to about everything.  
See you later,  
Hermione.**

She picks out a brown owl and ties the note to it leg.

"It's for George Weasley, okay?" She tell it and it flies out of the window. She watches it fly until she can't see it anymore, and then makes her way down to the dungeon in the ever increasingly crowded hallways. Draco is waiting for her, standing by the desk.

"Hermione? Tonight can I show you something else?" He asks.

"Ah.. I guess..." She mutters, feeling slightly guilty.

-That night-

Hermione looks up from her essay as Draco comes into the room, holding the bowl he puts the memories in.

"More memories?" She asks, worried because of the last time this happened. He nods, pulling another glass vial out of his pocket. She stands up and walks over to where he sets down the bowl. He pours the memories into the bowl and its starts swirling around.

"This one will be a mixture of them, okay? It'll move from one thing to another." He tells her, grasping her hand.

_Landing in the Great Hall, their first year selves are standing there. Draco is taunting Harry, his eyes flicker over to Hermione_ _just for a moment, but they seem to light up. He goes back to bothering Harry. They fly to the first Potions class, where Snape was interrogating Harry with different things in potion making. Draco looked like he was watching Harry fail, but he was actually looking at Hermione. The time that she punched him in the face. Everything that ever happened all those years with the two of them, flashes in front of them. _

They are pulled out. Everything has darkened.

"How much time did that take?" She asks, slighty dizzy and confused by everything she saw, and unable to concentrate on the clock. He looks at the clock.

"About an hour." He replies. "So there." He drops her hand, and walks into his room, leaving Hermione more confused than before. And pondering what exactly he meant.


End file.
